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The Hidden Challenges of Using English at Work — And How to Handle Them

March 27, 2025•6 min read

Let’s start with something important:

🎉 If your English is good enough for work — congratulations. 🎉
That’s a major achievement. Whether English is your second or even third language, operating professionally in it is something you should be proud of. It’s no small feat — and it deserves both self-respect and recognition from others.

Why Companies Should Value Multilingual Professionals

Today’s companies increasingly understand the value of linguistic and cultural diversity. Employees who speak multiple languages bring far more than just language skills — they bring broader perspectives, cross-cultural insight, and creative problem-solving abilities that are essential for global growth and innovation.

That said, even highly proficient English speakers often face real challenges at work — challenges that are frequently invisible to native speakers or misunderstood by managers.

This blog highlights four common difficulties that non-native English speakers encounter in the workplace and offers practical advice — for learners and for team leaders — to help make workplaces more supportive and inclusive.

1. Lack of Support and Understanding

Picture this: Your manager asks you to present the latest sales figures — with only ten minutes' notice. Oh, and the CEO will be joining.

Even for a native speaker, this would be stressful. For a non-native speaker, it can be overwhelming.

You're not just trying to understand the numbers. You're also worrying about:

  • Using the right words and phrases
  • Pronouncing things correctly
  • Getting your grammar and collocations right
  • Handling unexpected interruptions or tough questions

These are extra cognitive tasks that native speakers often don’t even think about. And because they’ve never had to think about them, they may not realize the mental load you’re carrying.

✅ What You Can Do

  • Build your own phrasebook: Start compiling key expressions for tasks like presentations, emails, and meetings. Whether it’s a Google Doc or handwritten notes, having go-to language ready to use under pressure is incredibly helpful.

  • Practice under pressure: Try rehearsing short summaries or explanations using a timer. Practice builds confidence, especially when time is limited.

🧠 What Managers Can Do

  • Give extra prep time when possible. This isn’t about intelligence — it’s about processing in a second language, which often just takes more time.
  • Avoid last-minute surprises if you can, especially for public speaking.

2. Being Silenced in Meetings

Team meetings are often where important ideas are shared and key decisions are made. But for many non-native speakers, meetings can feel like verbal battlegrounds:

  • Native speakers talk fast
  • Use informal idioms or references you don’t know
  • Interrupt each other without warning
  • Expect quick responses — often before you’ve had time to mentally translate or formulate your thoughts

All of this can make you hesitate, feel left out, or worry about saying something “wrong.” Over time, you might stop speaking altogether — even when you have valuable ideas to contribute.

And again, your colleagues might have no idea this is happening. To them, the meeting feels “normal.”

✅ What You Can Do

  • Take notes while you listen. Not everything said is important. Focus on key ideas, numbers, or decisions.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification. Even native speakers do this! Learn a few phrases like:
    • “Can I just check I understood that correctly?”
    • “Could you explain what you meant by X?”
    • “Sorry — I missed that last part, can you repeat it?”

Having these expressions ready can give you the confidence to jump in when needed.

🧠 What Managers Can Do

  • Actively invite quieter voices by asking for input:
    “What do you think, Alex?” or “Let’s hear from others before we move on.”
  • Watch for people who dominate the discussion — it can discourage not only non-native speakers, but also quieter native speakers.
  • Make sure interruptions are minimized so everyone has time to speak without fear of being cut off.

3. Dealing with English Overwhelm

Even if you speak English fluently, working all day in a second language can be mentally exhausting.

You’re reading emails, participating in meetings, thinking through problems, and responding in real time — all in a language that isn’t your own. The cognitive load builds up.

This can lead to fatigue, reduced focus, or even burnout.

✅ What You Can Do

  • Take short breaks to reset. It’s okay to spend your lunch break speaking your native language, watching a video in your first language, or just taking five quiet minutes.
  • Give yourself permission to mentally recharge. It’s not a weakness — it’s self-care.

🧠 What Managers Can Do

  • Normalize rest and recovery. Encourage breaks and acknowledge that second-language processing is a real effort.
  • Celebrate your team’s multilingual talents and don’t assume silence = lack of engagement.

4. Difficulty Building Deep Connections with Coworkers

Beyond meetings and presentations, there’s another challenge that’s easy to overlook — building real, meaningful relationships with colleagues.

Small talk, inside jokes, shared cultural references — these are the invisible threads that bond teams. But for non-native speakers, this part of work culture can feel awkward or inaccessible.

Maybe you don’t get the jokes.
Maybe you don’t know what “Ted Lasso energy” means.
Maybe you’re not sure when or how to join casual conversations in the break room or on Slack.

These gaps can make you feel like an outsider, even when you’re doing your job well. Over time, it can lead to social isolation and a sense that you’re not fully part of the team.

✅ What You Can Do

  • Don’t be afraid to ask questions — cultural references are confusing for everyone, even across regions in the same country!
  • Focus on 1:1 conversations — they’re often more relaxed than group chats and give you space to connect.
  • Try to share your own culture too — coworkers often love hearing about different traditions, holidays, or food.

🧠 What Managers Can Do

  • Create spaces for inclusive bonding — virtual coffee chats, culture-sharing sessions, or team games that don’t rely on pop culture references.
  • Model curiosity and openness. If someone doesn’t get a reference, take a second to explain — it builds psychological safety.
  • Encourage team members to invite and include others in informal chats or after-work events.

Final Thought: Confidence Is Not Perfection

As a non-native speaker, you’ve already done something incredibly difficult: You’ve mastered a second language well enough to use it at work.

That’s a huge strength, not a liability.

But even high-level speakers face hidden challenges. You might need more time to prepare. You might need more support in meetings. You might need room to make mistakes without fear of being judged. You might even need help making friends at work.

And none of that makes you less professional.

💬 Remember:

  • It’s okay to ask for clarification.
  • It’s okay to ask for more time.
  • It’s okay to take breaks in your native language.
  • It’s okay to ask for help — socially and professionally.

These are not signs of weakness — they are signs of resilience, self-awareness, and professional maturity.

If you’re a manager, supporting your multilingual staff isn’t just about being kind — it’s about building a better team with more perspectives, more empathy, and more long-term success.

Let’s keep the conversation going — and make workplaces more inclusive for everyone.